*All leagues play stopped clock. The clock is stopped at all whistles. Only in rare occasions when when games are running more than 30 minutes late will a running clock be allowed.

All teams must have a minimum of five players on the court and ready to play at the allotted tip off time, or the game is forfeit. If neither team has five players, the game is recorded as a tie for standings.

In the second grade leagues scores are kept for each quarter. After each quarter scores are reset to zero.

In the third grade leagues games scores are kept, but standing are not.

In grades four and above game scores are recorded and standing posted.

PRESS RULES

P0 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS MANDATORY FOR THE FULL GAME! Defense is not allowed to press in the back court at any time, and must remain behind the foul line extended until the ball advances past half court. If a team has a 10 point lead, no defense is allowed above the top of the key. Double team or trap is only allowed inside the paint area, so players are required to play one on one defense until the ball is advanced inside the paint! Fouls will be called and maintained, but if a player gets 3 fouls in a half that player is cautioned and must sit out the remainder of that half.

P1 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS MANDATORY FOR THE FULL GAME! Defense is not allowed to press in the back court at any time, and must remain behind the foul line extended until the ball advances past half court. If a team has a 10 point lead, no defense is allowed above the top of the key. Double team or trap is only allowed inside the paint area, so players are required to play one on one defense until the ball is advanced inside the paint! Fouls will be called exactly like a regular game and a player may be ejected from the game on getting a fifth foul.

P2 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS MANDATORY FOR THE FULL GAME! Defense is not allowed to press in the back court at any time, but may pick up defense at mid court. Trapping and double teaming is allowed inside the three point area only, so players are required to play one on one defense until the ball is advanced inside the three point line, if one exists! If no three point line exists on the court, the referee should create an imaginary line based on basketball terminology (3 point line, foul line extended, etc.) and enforce the rule to the best of their ability. If a team has a 10 point lead, no defense is allowed outside the three point area.

P3 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS MANDATORY FOR THE FULL GAME! Defense is not allowed to press on an inbounds play in the back court during the first three periods, but the team may press on an inbounds play over the full court in the final period if it does not have a lead of 10 points or more. Teams may press after any missed shot over the full court throughout the game, unless they have a ten point lead. Trapping and double teaming is allowed only inside the three point area. Trapping and double teaming is not allowed anywhere on the court if a team is leading by 10 points or more.

P4 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS MANDATORY FOR THE FULL GAME! Defense is not allowed to press on an inbounds play when it has a lead of 10 points or more. Teams may press, one on one, after any missed shot over the full court throughout the game. Double teaming the ball is allowed all over the court unless the team has a lead of 10 points or more, in which case double teaming the ball is only allowed inside the three point area.

P5 - PERSON TO PERSON DEFENSE IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!Defense is not allowed to press on an inbounds play when it has a lead of 10 points or more. Teams may press after any missed shot over the full court throughout the game. Trapping and double teaming is allowed all over the court unless the team has a lead of 10 points or more, in which case double teaming is only allowed inside the three point area.

NOTE:If a team violates a press rule by guarding in a restricted area or double teaming outside the designated area, or failing to closely guard their assigned player as detailed in the "Referee Points of Emphasis" section above, the first violation will be a "delay of game" infraction. The second and subsequent violations carry a technical foul penalty against the team. Three "indirect" technical fouls against a team requires the dismissal of the coach from the game.

TIMEOUTS

Each team is provided two full (one minute) and two 30 second time outs per game. If the game goes to overtime, unused time outs do not carry over and each team is provided one 30 second timeout.

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Weak Side Help Defense

What we are trying to promote is to involve all players on the team in both the offense and defense as much as possible, requiring them to move based on the position of the ball on the floor, and to not have the players stand around in a zone defense. It is also a lot easier to teach the offensive fundamentals of basketball, such as pick and roll, back door, give and go, screens, etc., when a team is playing against a man to man defense.

Playing a zone defense all the time promotes complacency in our league, and playing offense against a zone generally requires good dribblers who can split the zone and good outside shooting, both of which tend to not involve all the players. When a defensive player is assigned an offensive player and has to ":closely guard" that player , everyone feels like they are part of the game, and indeed they are. Also, when a screen is set to free another player, that is many times just as important a part of the offense as the player doing the scoring.

What all our coaches should be teaching is "weak side help man to man" defense, and that means that players off the ball (on the weak side) can go into the paint area and prepare to help, but when the ball comes to their side of the court they must respond quickly and actively guard their man. In playing this defense players have responsibilities to remember and carry out. Simplistically, if your man has the ball you should be within a six foot radius of the man, if ball is one pass away guard your man or deny a back pass, and if two passes away put both feet in the paint and look to help, but keep track of your man.

REFEREE POINTS OF EMPHASIS

1. Person to Person defense is mandatory in grades 1-6 games for the entire game.

2.Referees should ensure that when the ball crosses mid-court that the defensive player moves to a point at or near the three point circle nearest his assigned player waiting to actively guard his assigned player. When the ball is rotated, creating a weak and strong side, the defenders on the weak/off side may drop to the paint to provide weak side help.

3. Referees should not allow a sagging defense where the defensive player on the ball is not actively guarding his assigned player inside the three point circle.

4. Referees should not allow a sagging defense where a defensive player on the ball/strong side drops to the paint because they fear the player with the ball will drive to the hole, and their assigned player is not a threat, until the ball is advanced inside the three point circle.

5. Referees should not allow double teaming or trapping outside the action area, but allow it inside the action area depending on league and "P" rule above and defined below, making all players more a part of the game, and de-emphasizing the 1st round draft pick who might control the ball by dribbling to the exclusion of passing to teammates.

CASTS AND EARRINGS

VYI follows the National High Schools concering casts and pierced ears. The rules read:

NFHS Rule 3, Section 5, Article 2:

Guards, Casts, Braces, and compression sleeves must meet the following guidelines:a) A guard, cast or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plastic, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substance may not be worn on the elbow, hand, finger, wrist or forearm; even though covered with soft padding.

b) Hard and unyielding items (guards, casts, braces, etc.) on the upper arm or shoulder must be padded.